All Things Ardithian! – Gulf Coast Artwork

For the Love of All Living Things – Postcards From the Gulf

As an artist, I get bombarded with charities wanting me to donate an original piece of artwork for worthy causes. As much as I would love to donate to each one, it simply isn’t possible so I pick and choose those I am most passionate about, like the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and The Alabama Children’s Hospital. In light of the terrible events this past April when the oil spill devastated our coast line and natural habitats, my artist friend Val Webb decided to start an art event called Postcards for the Gulf. All of the proceeds will go to help clean the animals most affected by the oil spill, and that is one group in need that I was more than happy to paint for.

It was difficult at first, trying to narrow down exactly the perfect subject to paint on only a 4″ by 6″ postcard. I mulled over it, thought about which living beings I most loved, and repeatedly I was drawn to the Damsel Fly. I have always been fascinated by them and Dragon Flies, because of their beautiful, iridescent colors, but more so because they simply seem like such gentle beings, flitting here and there and adding only beauty to this planet. The thought of one of them lighting on a reed covered in oil gave me the chills and I prayed that these tiny, lovely winged insects would be safe from harm.

And, as I often do, I had to combine the art of writing with the art of painting. My piece is a mixed media collaboration of acrylic, ink, collage, and watercolor. The photo doesn’t do a whole lot of justice to the iridescence of the piece, but it is close enough. Nov. 14 during LODA Artwalk this, along with dozens more will be sold for $50 a piece. They will go on sale this Tuesday from the Postcards From the Gulf website as well.

I wanted to thank Val for putting together such a wonderful art project that will make such a difference. The prayer on my card states this:

May we once again strive to be PROTECTORS of the natural world around us and may the sheer beauty and value of life in every living thing become more important than man’s need to please himself.

I thank God for the beauty of our planet and pray daily for its protection.

Fight the Oil Spill with Art

>What a month this has been! The news about the oil spill was jaw dropping and day by day it seems to get worse. Some days, I didn’t know if I could bear to watch the news or not, and others kept my eyes glued to the tube. It’s hard for me to believe that the lack of oversight and actions by a few could cause such a catastrophe but they did. I shouldn’t be surprised should I? Minute by minute my emotions change from anger, to deep sadness, to WTH and I am sure most of my friends and family feel the same way.

Yesterday, oil made it’s way to Dauphin Island and Gulf Shores. Those are two places I hold near and dear. As a child, my grandfather and uncles worked tirelessly to build a cabin off of Fort Morgan and our entire family spent the summers there. If I close my eyes I can recall walking in the blistering hot sand as we unpacked the car. No one could play until that car was unloaded. The dunes stood almost higher than our houses and we had tons of fun rolling down them. In the evening, the big guys would take a net out and pull it in and we were able to pick through the bounty the Gulf provided. Those were the days, some of my most precious moments as a child.

Dauphin Island is also precious to me. When I first started dating Bill almost 14 years ago our second date was at Bright Waters. He had a beach house on the West End that faced the Gulf and I can remember like it was yesterday when I pulled up and saw Brandon picking oyster shells in the driveway and little Katie running around like a water fairy. Most of our weekends were spent there when it wasn’t rented and it was a magical place, for family, for taking in the beauty of the island, and I miss it terribly. Sadly, Hurricane Ivan took the house, and before we could rebuild, Hurricane Katrina took the lot, so our time at Dauphin Island ended, which left a deep hole in our hearts.

As we watched the oil spill, the enormous plumes gushing out of the pipe, and took in the new, “oil forecast”, we quickly realized that life along the coast was going to change for a long time. Friends from up north seemed concerned, but until you have visited the Gulf I fear one just can’t comprehend the beauty of it, and the loss of it. As an artist, it is difficult to sit by feeling helpless, in fact, I can’t stand that. So, many artist are coming together to do what we do best, PAINT!

Several auctions will be hosted between here and Pensacola in the coming weeks. The first one I am participating in will be at the Mobile Arts Council here in Mobile. “The Green Room” is an auction celebrating the mission of The Mobile Baykeepers. That organization works so hard in keeping our coast, bay, and watershed clean and the animals protected. Proceeds will be split between them, Mobile Arts Council and the artist, but I just may donate my share as well.

Here is the painting I am donating for it, “Mermaid Angel Prayer.” I love mermaids, and I thought turning one into an angel for the animals would be swell. There is a poem around the edge, it goes like this:

Mermaid Angel sent from Heaven,
listen to her prayer,
a prayer for all the creatures,
in the ocean, land, and air.

Protect them from the harm
that is around them everywhere,
from human greed and actions
causing harm with needless care.

Protect them one,
Protect them all,
these creatures great and small.

It’s a simple poem but one that I feel has a powerful message between the lines. My heart is breaking. I am holding close to my faith during these times, praying for a miracle, but it seems that the actions of man are too damaging to reverse and I can only imagine God’s heart is breaking as well. I will encourage all of you to find some way for your gifts to help the cause of protecting our coast. It sure is better than sitting by and waiting for the sky to fall, or shall I say, the black wave to roll in!

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